The big celebration concert on the occasion of the 75 anniversary of Iceland Symphony Orchestra is approaching. The Icelandic world star pianist Víkingur Ólafsson will be on stage at the concert which takes place in Harpa, Reykjavík 6 and 7 March with a spectacular program.
Only has Guðni Tómasson for a few months been the General Manager for Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Now, he is facing this great celebration of the orchestra, that he actually already knows very well. Please, meet Guðni Tómasson, his ideas and thoughts about ISO, his fears, background and future ambition.
It was not a problem to book a meeting with Guðni Tómasson at all. Shortly after taking contact with him, the online meeting was sceduled.
The new General Manager for Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands – Iceland Symphony Orchestra– seems open minded, optimistic and ready for the next piece of future for the national orchestra. For the Icelandic classical music a visionary manager who is easy to connect with and who wants the 75 years old establishment to be an outreaching ambassador for the music life in Iceland.
Perhaps that is symptomatic for the Icelandic art culture in general.
Firstly, Guðni Tómasson's optimism is obvious. Actually, it begins with his name. “Guðni means ‘friend of God’ “, he tells me in the beginning of our conversation when talking of the pronunciation. “It is probably better to be on the right team”, he adds with a warm twinkle in his eye.
Guðni Tómasson
Photo: PR
There is yet another reason for his good feeling when talking about his new job and responsibility for the ISO.
”Lára (Lára Sóley Jóhannsdóttir, the former General Manager of the ISO) has left the orchestra in a very good situation”, says Guðni Tómasson. He seems familiar with the situation being in front of the only full-time professional symphony orchestra of his country. For some time, he has been interested in the job, he says, but in fact he has been working for the orchestra in some respect for several years. 2010-2014 Guðni Tómasson was chairman of the board of the orchestra – a period that saw great change for the ISO. We’ll get back to that fact.
Also, Guðni Tómasson has been working as a journalist for the RUV – the national broadcasting service of Iceland. Dealing with arts and classical music, he started working there as a radio journalist in 2001. Here, he did a large number of articles, interviews, radio programs and broadcasts for the orchestra from 2006. ”I’ve done interviews with many of the visiting artists of the orchestra, and that helps me a lot now, of course”, Guðni Tómasson reflects. “I have been working with the orchestra for 20 years and remember the time, when the orchestra played in Háskólabíó”, he tells me referring to the former music hall and home for the orchestra in Reykjavík 1961-2011. 2011 appeared to be an absolute landmark in the history of the orchestra: Harpa was finally ready for the audience and to be the new home of the ISO.
“It was interesting. I was in the board, and the focus was suddenly very tight on the orchestra because of Harpa”, he remembers. “The musicians moved from an old cozy concert hall to Harpa, and that made a huge impact on the orchestra. The acoustics in Eldborg (the main hall) is very exceptional and it was interesting to watch the musicians listening to themselves in completely new surrounding”, he remembers. “Some musicians from that period are still in the orchestra, as well as there has come a lot of new blood, too, of course”, he lets me know.
Guðni Tómasson is not a musician himself, he reveals. Still, music has been central in his life since an early age. “I started listening around 15 years old. I was a singer in a rock band, before I later attended a men’s choir and actually, I have been singing with the ISO”, he says. "Once, at the 60th anniversary of the ISO, I actually sang with the ISO in Mahler’s second symphony”, he says. “That was a lot of fun! Goosebumps and everything!”
So, he must be some kind of a musician, one might consider.
Now, he has entered a new phase in his career, which he embraces with optimism, new ideas and enthusiasm. “This is my dream job because of my love of music”, he says. “It feels great, but also it is an important operation for the Icelandic society”, he adds revealing his awareness of the responsibility that is included in his job. His ambitions for the orchestra are clear and come from the heart. They are about education, recruiting and being an orchestra working in many places, styles and functions in order to serve the Icelandic society.
“The goal is, in the end, to raise the bar in our artistic life, to make it stronger. I want to recruit talented and ambitious musicians”, he says. However, the culture of the orchestra has his attention, too. “It is important, that people feel good in their environment and that there is an interesting mix of music for the musicians to play. Our assignment is always doing better and doing an appealing program”. He tells me that the orchestra has an artistic advisor whom together with a group of musicians choses the repertoire in cooperation with conductors and soloists. Inclusion of the musicians is important in order to prepare them for the many roles and functions in their job.
Eldborg Hall in Harpa, Reykjavík, was in 2023 listed among the 20 most iconic concert halls in the world by the travel guide travelmag.com. Photo: ISO
It may be in Harpa in Reykjavík or somewhere else. Guðni Tomasson wants the ISO to get involved with the Icelandic society. The characteristic architecture of Harpa is the daily home of the ISO.
Photo: ISO/RE
“The orchestra has so many hats”, he says mentioning the different classical roles, outreach and education, touring abroad and at home. “It is about inclusion and ownership - that Icelanders feel that this is their orchestra. That they can be proud of it”, he says. Also, his aim is to keep the orchestra working on an international platform and continue doing recordings. “The future is exciting”, Guðni Tómasson says with his characteristic optimism.
However, he is aware of the challenges, but he will not let these things take control. He only mentions the vacant seats in the orchestra as I ask him about an eventual weakness of the orchestra. “We are a small nation in the middle of the ocean. We don’t always have the people we need, but we want to recruit from other countries”, he says in a calm and realistic sound.
“The vacant seats for violins and flutes have many appliers, but instruments like solo oboist is very tough. If you don’t have the people yourself, you have to fly them in. That takes a lot of money”, he realizes. Of course, economics is also a topic. The ISO has had its ups and downs through history.
“For years and decades, the running of the orchestra was hard”, Guðni Tomasson tells me. “The orchestra nearly died shortly after its birth. For some years until 1982 the orchestra was run by RUV. Then it got a better funding from the government”, he lets us know.
“It is a metaphor for what humans can do when they come together. The whole group is fixed on doing this wonderful one thing all at once. That amazes me. Perhaps we are used to it but let us not forget how wonderful it actually is”.”
Guðni Tómasson , Managing Director, ISO
He does not put it into words openly, still it is clear that he is aware of the economic situation because the political landscape has an influence on the terms of the orchestra. “We are waiting for what the new government is going to decide”, he says referring to the outcome of the election November 2024. ”That will in the end have an impact on our work”, he says and continues: “We are supported by some private supporters and by the ticket sales at the concerts but firstly we are supported by the government of Iceland and the city of Reykjavík”, he explains.
Obviously, it does take good funding to run a national symphony orchestra consisting of 88 musicians. But an investment may make a great outcome because of the way that the Icelandic world of arts operates and moves.
“There’s good water in Iceland”, Guðni Tómasson assures me. “It is easy for artists to operate here, and they cooperate a lot on each other's projects You can call someone up, introduce yourself (he/she is likely to know you anyway) and ask: Can you help me with this and that, can you play the trombone with me?”, he exemplifies. ”That just makes it very creative. People are willing to help each other and make things happen. That is so amazing. People like developing ideas and there is a vibrant community around. It is so inspiring”, he says in his characteristic calm way. “In Iceland, we read a lot of books. We are a very cultural-interested country, where everyone supports each other. In that way, everything supports this general artistic outpourring”, he concludes.
When asking him about the strength of the orchestra, flexibility comes to his mind. “Nordic music as well as Schostakovic fits with the ISO very well. But it is a very flexible orchestra. They also play baroque and the music from the movie “Home alone”. They can easily switch between styles and happenings”, he says with a hidden pride. He also mentions Harpa as a great strength for the orchestra because it in general is a big magnet for the Icelandic culture as a whole.
Even if Guðni Tómasson is actually living on an island, he is very interested in welcoming new people in this community of arts. “We need guests for the future, because Icelandic culture has to be divers”, he says. The new generation is also a part of his plan, even if it might be challenging. That does not seem to harm or worry Guðni Tómasson. “The interest for classical music often appears late in life, that fact will not change dramatically. Still, we want to show young people what classical music is and can do. If people realize the magic earlier, it can fulfill their lives”, he says. “There is so much new music coming up and I’m not worried about the future of classical music. Still, we are of course depending on politicians and the public who want to support us”, he reflects.
As mentioned, he is optimistic about the future. The current principal conductor, Eva Ollikainen from Finland, will be touring with the orchestra around Europe in spring 2026, and in autumn same year the Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan will join the orchestra as the new principal conductor with a contract for three years.
Collaborations that Guðni Tómasson is looking forward to.
As for himself, Guðni Tómasson wants to do more education and keep the developing of ideas going. But these days, the coming celebration of the 75 years anniversary of the ISO takes most of his attention.
It seems like he is looking forward to experiencing what is important and priceless to him personally. “The endless depths of experience you can find with an orchestra is becoming more valuable now. To get lost in the music – to forget all your troubles. It is so nice having a break from the phone and listening to real music instead”, he points out. The whole physiognomy of an orchestra continues to fascinate Guðni Tómasson. “It is a metaphor for what humans can do when they come together. The whole group is fixed on doing this wonderful one thing all at once. That amazes me. Perhaps we are used to it but let us not forget how wonderful it actually is”.
The celebration concerts take place 6 and 7 March 2025
